October 20, 2007
San Antonio – Tara Wicketts placed in the top 10 individually for the fourth straight season, helping St. Mary’s University to a third place finish at the 2007 Heartland Conference Cross Country Championships, Saturday night at the San Antonio State School.
Wicketts (Sr., Cibolo) covered the five-kilometer course in a time of 19:20 to finish eighth overall. Just three spots behind her was sophomore Amy Crissman (So., San Antonio), who placed 11th with a time of 19:56. Jesse Smith (Jr., Boerne) placed 15th with a time of 20:25, while Melissa Recio (Jr., Laredo) was 22nd in 21:44 and Katrina White (Fr., San Antonio) was 39th in 23:23. Yesena Bernal (Sr., El Paso) was 43rd in 24:03 and Amanda Benavides (So., San Antonio) was 44th in 24:10.
Overall Yvonne Rodriguez of the University of the Incarnate Word took individual honors, covering the course in a time of 17:56. Second overall was Kaydian Howell of Lincoln University in 18:32. Dallas Baptist University edged out host UIW 39 points to 45 points for the team title. St. Mary’s was third with 95 points, while Lincoln was fourth with 108, Newman University was fifth with 118, the University of Texas-Permian Basin was sixth with 151, Texas A&M International University was seventh with 200 points, St. Edward’s University was eighth with 204 and Oklahoma Panhandle State University was ninth with 238 points.
The performance wraps up the 2007 season for the Rattlers, who placed third in the Heartland for the third time in four years.